Sometimes we forget
our history. It is easy to get
wrapped up in our own daily lives, and forget how far the psychiatric
movement has come.
That is what the Bryce Hospital Historical
Preservation Committee is trying to help
us remember. It has been only in the last
150 years that Alabama has had an institution
for the housing and treatment of
people with mental illnesses, and
even though many of us may have had
bad experiences at such institutions, before
this time people were locked in basements,
attics, and closets. They had little,
if any, interaction with others, and were
often beaten or abused. Dr. Peter Bryce's innovative
approach to address the needs
of people with mental illnesses
with moral treatment was ground breaking
150 years ago, and that
is what this committee is trying to help
us understand today — the significance of
Bryce Hospital's history.

However, equally important is the fact
that many consumers spent their entire
adult lives at Bryce Hospital, and some
are buried in the four cemeteries located
on the hospital's grounds. The committee
wants to memorialize these individuals
by placing historical markers, one
for each cemetery, so people will realize
that these people's legacy lives on today.
In addition, the committee has accepted
proposals from consumers for a monument
that will symbolize the countless
individuals who are buried in unmarked
graves in these four cemeteries.

"We feel it is imperative to erect a
monument to these brave souls, so generations
to come will understand the
significance of their lives," said Dr. Tom
Hobbs, chair of the Bryce Hospital Historic
Preservation Committee.